Farewell Symposium for Prof. Dr. Alexander Eychmüller with Guest Lecture by Prof. Dr. Markus Antonietti

After many years of fruitful scientific collaboration, the Faculty of Chemistry and Food Chemistry bids farewell to Prof. Dr. Alexander Eychmüller, Chair of Physical Chemistry, as he enters his well-deserved retirement.

Prof. Dr. Alexander Eychmüller studied Physics at the University of Göttingen, where he received his Diplom degree in 1984 and his PhD in 1987, both based on experimental research carried out at the Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry. In 1999, he habilitated in the field of Physical Chemistry at the University of Hamburg. Throughout his scientific career, Prof. Dr. Alexander Eychmüller held positions at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), the Hahn-Meitner Institute in Berlin, the University of Hamburg, as well as Technische Universität Dresden (TUD). During his 20 years at TUD (2005–2025), Prof. Dr. Alexander Eychmüller made significant contributions to the Faculty of Chemistry and Food Chemistry. In particular, he distinguished himself through excellent teaching, the development and execution of research projects, and his active involvement in university committees. For his outstanding achievements in teaching, he received several awards and was granted an ERC Advanced Grant in 2013. For several years, he served as Deputy Speaker of the Cluster of Excellence cfaed and played a pivotal role in establishing CRC 1415 and the Research Training Group GRK 2767. The Dean of the Faculty of Chemistry and Food Chemistry, Prof. Dr. Bernd Plietker, honored Prof. Dr. Alexander Eychmüller’s constant commitment and his contributions to science and teaching during a festive laudation.

To mark the occasion of Prof. Dr. Alexander Eychmüller’s farewell symposium, the Faculty of Chemistry and Food Chemistry was pleased to welcome Prof. Dr. Markus Antonietti from the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces as the invited speaker. Prof. Dr. Markus Antonietti is a renowned expert in the synthesis of macromolecules for the creation of mesoscopic composite systems and hybrid materials. His research focuses explicitly on biomimetic systems as simple and sustainable solutions to global challenges such as the increasing demand for energy and global CO₂ issues. In his lecture, “New Effects Based on the Control of Nanospace – Disruptive Energy Storage & New Catalysis,” he demonstrated that carbon materials, sometimes combined with inorganic nanostructures, exhibit chemo-, photo-, and electrocatalytic activity and can show enzyme-like behavior in highly unusual reactions. Examples include the binding and transformation of nanomolar concentrations for environmental remediation or the degradation of otherwise stable polymers. These carbon catalysts are therefore not merely “green versions” of existing catalysts with “limited” properties, but rather expand the field of chemistry itself.

The Faculty of Chemistry and Food Chemistry expresses its sincere gratitude to Prof. Dr. Alexander Eychmüller for the many years of successful collaboration and wishes him all the very best for the future! We would also like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Prof. Dr. Markus Antonietti for his inspiring scientific presentation!